Rotary finishing wheel

ABSTRACT

The wheel&#39;&#39;s finishing pad mounting structure is made up in the main of light-weight aluminum parts, including an axially spaced series of circular disc-like plate units which are coaxially and releasably clamped rigidly to a wheel driving shaft. These plate components include composite clamped ones at both axial ends of the wheel structure, and by preference at an axial midpoint along the latter if it is of substantial length. Each such composite is comprised of a two-part capplate sub-assembly whose halves directly clamp releasably to the shaft, this cap plate being supplemented by a one-piece circular plate just axially inward of the split unit. There are also usually one or more intermediate circular mounting discs or plates which closely resemble the inner plate component of the composite cap-plate sub-assembly. Most of such one-piece end and intermediate plate members are provided with an annular series of equally spaced holes closely adjacent their outer plate periphery, which holes slidably receive elongated pins or rods upon which axially aligned sets of flexible finishing pads or packs of the wheel are mounted for a very free-swinging action in their finishing of work. Somewhat radially inwardly of said pivot rods, all of the unitary plate components of the structure are also apertured at boss formations thereof to receive elongated assembly rods, to which rods the several plate components are individually locked by set screws. The composite end and intermediate plate and cap sub-assemblies are releasably bolted to one another, thus to lock the cap components rigidly to the shaft through the agency of their associated one-piece plate. Either one or both halves of any or all of the cap members may be taken off if a finishing pad or pack is to be replaced. The structure is a wholly knock-down one.

United States Patent 1191 Belanger ROTARY FINISHING WHEEL [76] Inventor: James A. Belanger, 17502 Rexwood, Livonia, Mich. 48152 221' Filed: Mar. 21, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 453,317

Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cullen, Settle, Sloman & Cantor ABSTRACT The wheels finishing pad mounting structure is made up in the main of light-weight aluminum parts, including an axially spaced series of circular disc-like plate units which are coaxially and releasably clamped rigidly to a wheel driving shaft. These plate components include composite clamped ones at both axial ends of the wheel structure, and by preference at an, axial mid- Oct. 28, 1975 point along the latter if it is of substantial length. Each such composite is comprised of a two-part capplate sub-assembly whose halves directly clamp releasably to the shaft, this cap plate being supplemented by a one-piece circular plate just axially inward of the split unit. There are also usually one or more intermediate circular mounting discs or plates which closely resemble the inner plate component of the composite capplate sub-assembly.

Most of such one-piece end and intermediate plate members are provided with an annular series of equally spaced holes closely adjacent their outer plate periphery, which holes slidably receive elongated pins or rods upon which axially aligned sets of flexible finishing pads or packs of the wheel are mounted for a very free-swinging action in their finishing of work. Somewhat radially inwardly of said pivot rods, all of the unitary plate components 'of the structure are also apertured at boss formations thereof to receive elongated assembly rods, to which rods the several plate components are individually locked by set screws. The composite end and intermediate plate and cap sub-assemblies are releasably bolted to one another, thus to lock the cap components rigidly to the shaft through the agency of their associated one-piece plate. Either one orboth halves of any or all of the cap members may be 'taken off if a finishing pad or pack is to be replaced. The structure is a wholly knock-down one.

39 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,914,908

ROTARY FINISHING WHEEL CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS My copending applications generally relating to the subject matter are Ser. No. 253,237, file'd May 15, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,481, issued Apr. 2, 1974; Ser. No. 370,461, filed June 15, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,099, issued Apr. 30, 1974 (a continuation of Ser. No. 253,240, filed May 15, 1972 now abandoned which was a division of Ser. No. 885,734, filed Dec. 17, 1969 and issued Aug. 22, 1972 as letters Patent No. 3,685,217); Ser. No. 376,812, filed July 5, 1973 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,291, issued June 28, 1974 (a continuation of Ser. No. 155,733, filed June 23, 1971 now abandoned); and Ser. No. 424,777, filed Dec. 14, 1973 (a division of Ser. No. 339,352, filed Mar. 8, 1973, which is also a division of said Ser. No. 155,733) now U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,829, issued June 4, 1974.

My more recently filed application, Ser. No. 453,316 filed Mar. 21, 1974, illustrates, describes and claims a variant embodiment of the structure herein disclosed, being well adapted for similar uses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The rotary wheel structure was designed for use in commercial automotive car. washing establishments,

, for which use the wheel has outstanding merit. However, the pad-mounting structure of the wheel is unquestionably well suited for application in many sizes and types of buffing wheel, polishing wheel, non-solid type grinding wheel, etc., for the rough or finish abrasive working, brushing, burnishing, or polishing of parts, over and above the present adaptation in which an automobile body is in effect such part.

2. Description of the Prior Art Patents such as that to Hendricksen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,785,516 of Mar. 19, 1957 disclose a wheel structure in which buffing elements are individually mounted in axially aligned sets or series on elongated rods or bars of the wheel.

However, I know of no disclosure of structural features and consequent advantages, in particular in a wheel capable of being entirely assembled and manually dismantled, such as are referred to in the Abstract and are hereinafter described in detail. In regard to the individual finishing components, the patent to Harman, U.S. Pat. No. 2,524,626 of Oct. 3, 1950 discloses flexible abrasive sheets which are slitted to afford several parallel flap parts, but not as sheet components assembled in packs and pivotally mounted in the manner herein shown.

My own U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,217, identified above, also relates to rotary finishing wheel structure which is axially subdivided by intermediate plate means between end plates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The rotary wheel and finishing pack or pad improvement of the invention is one, as previously indicated, importantly intended for use in automatic car washing installations made and promoted by various concerns and which have come into great vogue in recent years. As adapted to the car washing field, the flexible pad units herein shown mounted by pivot rods of the improved wheel structure have an almost friction-free and wide range of swing in accommodating themselves to the complex contouring of an automobile body and its wheels. Their swing as a group is always well balanced, and perfect car washing is insured. By another token, the sectionalized mounting of the pack or pad units on the one-piece plastic pivot rods of the present wheel structure, with the rod ends confined by split cap parts, enables any pad to be removed and replaced in but a moments time. No welding is involved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view, partially broken away and in section as to certain pad or pad mounting components thereof, the view showing the finishing wheel structure of the invention as mounted by end and intermediate cap-plate units to a drive shaft, also indicating in section a pivotal clip mount of the flexible finishing units on the hinge rods of the assembly;

"FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged scale view of said wheel structure in end elevation, as from the right of FIG.- 1; FIG. 3 is a still further enlarged sectional view in part showing a split end cap unit of the wheel, being in a transverse plane at to the shaft axis along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in transverse section on line 4-4 of FIG. 1, illustrating an end cap-type unit as applied to the drive shaft in an intermediate axial location;

FIG. 5 is a similar view in transverse section on line 55 of FIG. 1, showing features of an intermediate mounting plate as fixedly connected to assembly rods of the wheel;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged scale view in transverse radial section on line 66 of FIG. 2, further showing features of a finishing pack or pad of the wheel as pivotally mounted on a plastic hinge rod of the assembly, the rod being sectioned in a plane including its axis; and

FIG. 7 is a further fragmentary view in transverse radial section on line 7- -7 of FIG. 2, indicating the nature of the mount of a cap-plate unit to an assembly rod of the wheel.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows the pad or pack-mounting wheel assembly of the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, as fixedly mounted to a center drive shaft 11, to comprise a pair of like axially spaced end plate and clamp cap sub-assemblies 12, each of which is made up of an inner circular disc or plate 13 and a split flanged cap component 14, the specific nature of both of which is later detailed. These composite subassemblies or units 12 clamp rigidly to the shaft 11 at the split cap thereof; and an intermediate such unit, specially designated 15, is employed adjacent the axial center of the wheel assembly 10, particularly in the case of one of considerable axial 1ength ,'the unit 15 being similarly clamped rigidly to the drive shaft.

Further intermediate mounting plates 17, substantially identical to the plates 13, are coaxially carried on shaft 11 at locations equidistant between the end and intermediate units 12 and 15; and it will be understood that the number of such intermediate plate parts is capable of quite wide variation, depending upon the axial length of the wheel structure as a whole. Their choice as to location will of course be governed in the best in- 3 terest of a stable and well-balanced organization; and the number of the plates 13 and/or 17 will in any case exceed by one the number of a given aligned set of pads to be mounted on the wheel structure.

The reference numeral 18 designates an elongated aluminum assembly rod for the wheel structure 10, of which rods there are four paralleling and spaced outwardly from the axis of shaft 10. There are also a number of elongated extruded plastic hinging or pivot rods 19 of lesser diameter than assembly rods 18. Rods l9 radially outwardly parallel the rods 18 and serve to hingedly connect to the structure a plurality of finishing pack or pad units, each generally designated 20, the nature of which will hereinafter be described. As seen in FIG. 2, rods 19 pivotally mount said units in annular array spaced equally circumferentially about the wheel structure adjacent its outer periphery.

Now referring particularly to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 in conjunction with FIG. 1, each of the composite end and intermediate cap units or sub-assemblies 12 or comprises a split cap constituent 14 as being composed of two identical aluminum castings 22 of a semi-circular external contour. Each is formed to provide, as best shown in FIG. 3, a pair of parallel bores 23, 24 which are disposed to be in a substantially tangential relation to the drive shaft 11; and the castings 22 are also molded to form between such bores a quasi-cylindrical clamp seat 25. This, as best depicted in FIG. 3, will center on and mate with the exterior of said shaft 11 to a greater or lesser degree, depending upon the latters diameter, and thus properly locate the split casting unit 14 on the shaft.

A pair of clamp bolts 26 are disposed reversely to enter holes 27 in an inner integral web portion 28 of each casting 22, being taken up tightly against those webs at nuts 26 thereon, and thus rigidly clamping the split end and intermediate cap units 14 to shaft 11. In doing this they also similarly lock the other plate component 13 of the sub-assemblies 12 and 15 for conjoint rotation with the shaft, this being through the agency of locking stud means to be described. By preference, the aluminum castings 22 are molded to afford axially external weight-reducing cavities 29.

Each of said parts 22 of the two end cap assemblies 12 alone is formed, as best appears in FIGS. 1 and 2, to have an integral enlarged semi-circular flange portion 30, of the same radius as the associated plate 13, for the axial end restraint of the plastic flap hinging rods 19; the corresponding flanges 30 of the intermediate split unit 15 are of substantially less'size, terminating radially short of said rods. In order to afford an always stably supported, limited axial shift of the rods 19, as guided by the inner plate components 13 of the end cap units 12, the flanges 30 of each casting 22 of the outer hub or cap unit 14 are formed on their inner sides with integral spacer shoulders 31 of semi-circular outline. These afford, as appears in FIGS. 6 and 7, a fairly generous axial clearance space between respective pairs of plates 13 and the flanges 30 in the outer circumferential zone of the units 12, through which rods 18 and 19 may act, respectively over-extending and underextending the split castings in the axial sense when the latter are in place. Such clearance space is not required in the base of the intermediate composite plate unit 15, so that in the interest of lesser weight and cost, the shoulder 31 is omitted from the split plates of that unit.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 7, the plate halves 22 of cap-plate unit 14 are each provided at their flanges 30 or 30' with a pair of clearance holes 33 which are equally spaced inwardly of the diameter of the half. These accommodate the ends of the assembly rod 18 with substantial side clearance, and, per FIG. 5, the plates 13 of composite plate sub-assemblies 12 and 15, as well as the similar intermediate plates 17, are formed with like integral boss formations 34 projecting axially from one side thereof, which bosses are provided with cylindrical bores 35 paralleling the shaft axis. These register axially with the respective clearance holes 33 of the halves 22 of cap-plate member 14. Each such boss 34, as best illustrated in FIG. 7, threadedly receives a radial Allen-type socket set screw 36, which engages the assembly rod 18 to clamp the plates 13 and 17 to the shaft.

Plates 13 and 17 are also provided adjacent their outer peripheries with an annular series of equally spaced holes 37 of a uniform diameter a bit greater than that of the elongated pad pivoting rods 19, which they are adapted to slidably receive. The corresponding circumferential zones of the flanges 30 of the halves of the two endmost cap components are imperforate, as appears in FIGS. 6 and 7, since they serve to end-limit the axial movement of the rods 19.

Finally, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the knockdown assemblies of split cap-plate component 14 or 15 and plate part 13 or 17, respectively, are rigidly locked together by short studs 38 extending through aligned circular openings 39, 39' in said plates, with washers 40 interposed between the stud head and a locking nut 41. In the interest of standardized production, a pair of holes 39' may be formed in each intermediate plate 17, but are of course functionless atthat location, as appears in FIG. 5.

In setting up the assembly 10, the inner end and intermediate plate components 13 and 17 will be secured by set screws 36 to the assembly shafts 18 with their bosses 34 in axial alignment. This operation of course follows a proper desired axial spacing of said plates 13 to receive the pad units 20, and preferably after one of the split end cap units 14 has been secured to the outer side of an endmost plate 13 by the bolts or studs 38.

The plastic pad pivoting rods 19 are then progressively slid axial-wise from the other end of the structure through the aligned openings 37 of the plates 13 and 17, and through pivoting bights of the finishing pad mounting clips (to be described) as the latter are progressively positioned properly in a row in the axial spaces between said plates.

When said rods 19 are thus fully inserted endwise, the other end-most cap component 14 is bolted to the outer side of the adjacent plate 13, after which the plate and cap sub-assemblies l2 and 15 may be rigidly locked to drive shaft 11 by their dual screw means 26, as shown in FIG. 3. The sequence of the abovedescribed operations may of course be altered as indicated by time and/or convenience. As also suggested in FIG. 3, there is a reasonable clearance space between the respective integral webs 28 of castings 22 to enable the latter to accommodate shafts of differing diameter.

The pad or pack units 20 may be bodily removed one at a time from any pivot rod 19 by simply removing a single end cap casting 22 of the split unit 14, withdrawing the rod axially the necessary distance, lifting out and replacing the pad, and restoring the casting. All pad units 20 swing very freely, loosely and with practically zero friction on the plastic rods 19, as shown in FIG. 2.

As best illustrated in FIGS. land 2, the pad units 20 are each mounted for such free and anti-frictional swinging movement by a clip 41 at the inner radial extremity of the pad, which clip is preferably inthe form of an aluminum stamping or extrusion length of the general sort illustrated and described in one of my applications Ser. No. 424,777 or 253,237, identified above. Typically, the clip 41 presents a circular pivoting bight 42 at said radially inner portion thereof, plus a pair of integral spaced arms 43 between which sheet components 44 of a stack completing the flexible finishing pad unit 20 are clamped and stapled at their radially inner extremities.

In any contemplated installation the axial width of said components 44 of pad unit 20 will slightly exceed that of its associated mounting and pivoting clip 41, sufficiently as appears in FIG. 1 to bring side edges of the sheet packs in edge-wise juxtaposition.

FIG. 1 best shows these components in the form of radially elongated sheets of an appropriate reasonably bodied, but fully flexible buffing fabric, such as treated or untreated felt or other fabric lending itself for very effective use in rapidly washing the multiple and complexly contoured front, rear, top and side panels, wheels, bumpers etc. of an automobile. These sheets are shown (FIG. 1) as being longitudinally slitted at 46 along parallel lines extending from very close to the mounting clip 43 throughout the entire longitudinal extent of the sheets 44. This subdivides the sheet stack into elongated strap-like components to impart a great degree of flexibility, adaptability and conformity to the pad units 20 for the special purpose referred to above. However, other choices of material may be made for any particular purpose, and it is also of course contemplated that the wheel structure may be employed in the releasable mounting and replacement of pad units of other types, abrasive, buffing and the like, as further described in my copending applications referred to above.

Typically, they may be of any suitable fill material indicated for the purpose, such as abrasive coated sheets emery-type cloth or fabric, leather, sisal and the like, and may be specially treated, if required, in a manner known to the art. Likewise, radially inner ends of the sheets may be bonded together, as by an appropriate mastic, to impart a rigid, block-like characteristic to those ends.

What is claimed is:

l. A rotary wheel structure to mount radially outer finishing units, comprising a pair of axially spaced slit end plate units each including at least two generally similar plates disposed in substantial radial register and having means to releasably clamp the same coaxially in a partially surrounding relation to a drive shaft, said plates as thus clamped each having means spaced radially outwardly of the axis of the shaft for mounting said finishing units in circumferentially spaced relation to one another about the shaft axis, and further comprising a pair of outermost end plate members located axially adjacent and outwardly of the respective split end plate units, said plate members each having a radius comparable to that of said split end plate units but lacks rod-receiving holes in a circumferential zone thereof radially coinciding with the zone of said plate units carrying said circumferentially spaced series of rod-receiving holes, thereby to axially confine rods slidably guided in said holes.

2. The wheel structure of claim 1, in which said plates are generally semi-circular, each having a radially inner seat adjacent its diameter at which it is releasably clamped to the drive shaft, said mounting means comprising a plurality of elongated rods paralleling the shaft axis and received in a circumferentially spaced series of holes in said plateswhich surround the axis.

3. A rotary wheel structure to mount radially outer finishing units, comprising a pair of axially spaced split end plate units each including at least two generally similar plates disposed in substantial radial register and having means to releasably clamp the same coaxially in a partially surrounding relation to a drive shaft, said plates as thus clamped each having means spaced radi ally outwardly of the axis of the shaft for pivotally mounting said finishing units in circumferentially spaced relation to one another about the shaft axis, and further comprising at least one other intermediate plate unit located axially between said split end plate units and including a plate part which also pivotally mounts said finishing units.

4. A rotary wheel structure to mount radially outer finishing units, comprising a pair of axially spaced split end plate units each including at least two generally similar plates disposed in substantial radial register and having means to releasably clamp the same coaxially in a partially surrounding relation to a drive shaft, said plates as thus clamped each having means spaced radially outwardly of the axis of the shaft for pivotally mounting said finishing units in circumferentially spaced relation to one another about the shaft axis, said plates being generally semi-circular, each having a radially inner seat adjacent its diameter at which it is releasably clamped to the drive shaft, said pivotal mounting means comprising a plurality of elongated rods paralleling the shaft axis and received in a circumferentially spaced series of holes in said plates which surround the axis, and further comprising at least one other intermediate plate unit located axially between said split end plate units and including a plate part which also has holes to receive said elongated rods to pivotally mount said finishing units.

5. The wheel structure of claim 3, in which said plate part of said other plate unit is one-piece in nature, including a radially extending flange portion also pivotally mounting the finishing units.

6. The wheel structure of claim 4, in which said plate part of said other plate unit is one-piece in nature, including a radially extending flange portion also having a circumferential series of holes to receive said rods.

7. The wheel structure of claim 5, in which said other plate unit further comprises in addition to said onepiece plate part, at least two plates similar to those of said split end plate units and similarly clamped releasably to the shaft.

8. The wheel structure of claim 6, in which said other plate unit further comprises in addition to said onepiece plate part, at least two plates similar to those of said split end plate units and similarly clamped releasably to the shaft.

9. The wheel structure of claim 8, in which said end and other plate units are in substance the same, each including at least two releasably clamped plates and a substantially one-piece plate part in close axial adjacency to the clamped plate pair, the one-piece parts of the end plate units laterally outwardly limiting movement of said rods.

10. The wheel structure of claim 9, in which said onepiece plate parts and the plates of the pair are releasably secured to and adjacent one another by means other than the releasable shaft clamping of said pair.

1 1. The wheel structure of claim 6, in which said onepiece plate part is provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.

12. The wheel structure of claim 9, in which said onepiece plate parts are provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.

13. The wheel structure of claim 10, in which said one-piece plate parts are provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.

14. The wheel structure of claim 1, in which the plates of the split end plate units are substantially semicircular, being provided at the respective diameters thereof with seats which partially encircle the shaft, and means to releasably clamp said plates to the shaft.

15. The wheel structure of claim 3, in which the plates of the split end plate units and said other plate unit are substantially semi-circular, being provided at the respective diameters thereof with seats which partially encircle the shaft, and means to releasably clamp said plates to the shaft.

16. The wheel structure of claim 9, in which the plates of the split end plate units and said other plate unit are substantially semi-circular, being provided at the respective diameters thereof with axially enlarged bosses affording seats which partially encircle the shaft, and means at said bosses to releasably clamp said plates to the shaft.

17. A combined assembly of the wheel structure as defined in claim 3 with a circumferentially spaced array of said finishing units as pivotally mounted on said plates of said units, said finishing units each comprising a number of like flexible sheets slitted uniformly along spaced longitudinal lines, and a clip mounting said sheets at ends thereof spaced from said lines in a unitary multiple sheet stack, the clip having a radially inner portion at which it is pivotally mounted to the wheel structure. 1

18. A combined assembly of the wheel structure as defined in claim 4 with a circumferentially spaced array of said finishing units as pivotally mounted on said plate rods of said units, said finishing units each comprising a number of like flexible sheets slitted uniformly along spaced longitudinal lines, and a clip mounting said sheets at ends thereof spaced from said lines in a unitary multiple sheet stack, the clip having a radially inner bight at which it is pivotally mounted to a rod of the wheel structure.

19. The assembly of claim 17, in which there are an axially aligned series of said finishing units in each of said circumferentially spaced arrays, being disposed axially between said end and other intermediate plate units of the wheel structure, and separated from one another by at least one of said other units.

20. The assembly of claim 18, in which there are an axially aligned series of said finishing units in each of said circumferentially spaced arrays, being disposed axially between said end and other intermediate plate units of the wheel structure, and separated from one another by at least one of said other units.

21. A rotary wheel structure to mount radially outer finishing units, comprising a pair of axially spaced split end plate units each including at least two generally similar plates disposed in substantial radial register and having means to releasably clamp the same coaxially in a partially surrounding relation to a drive shaft, said plates as thus clampedeach having means spaced radially outwardly of the axis of the shaft for pivotally mounting said finishing units in circumferentially spaced relation to one another about the shaft axis, said plates being generally semi-circular, each having a radially inner seat adjacent its diameter at which it is releasably clamped to the drive shaft, said pivotal mounting means comprising a plurality of elongated rods paralleling the shaft axis and received in a circumferentially spaced series of holes in said plates which surround the axis, and further comprising a pair of outermost end plate members located axially adjacent and outwardly of the respective split end plate units, said plate members each having a radius comparable to that of said split end plate units but lacks rod-receiving holes in a circumferential zone thereof radially coinciding with the zone of said plate units carrying said circumferentially spaces series of rod-receiving holes, thereby to axially confine rods slidably guided in said holes.

22. The assembly of claim 17, and further comprising a pair of outermost end plate members located axially adjacent and outwardly of the respective split end plate units, said plate members each having a radius comparable to that of said split end plate units but lacks rodreceiving holes in a circumferential zone thereof radially coinciding with the zone of said plate units carrying said circumferentially spaced series of rod-receiving holes, thereby to axially confine rods slidably guided in said holes.

23. The wheel structure of claim 1, and further comprising at least one other intermediate plate unit located axially between said split end plate units and including a plate part which also mounts said finishing units.

24. The wheel structure of claim 2, and further comprising at least one other intermediate plate unit located axially between said split end plate units and including a plate part which also has holes to receive said elongated rods to mount said finishing units.

25. The wheel structure of claim 23, in which said plate part of said other plate unit is one-piece in nature, including a radially extending flange portion also mounting the finishing units.

26. The wheel structure of claim 24, in which said plate part of said other plate unit is one-piece in nature, including a radially extending flange portion also having a circumferential series of holes to receive said rods.

27. The wheel structure of claim 25, in which said other plate unit further comprises in addition to said one-piece plate part, at least two plates similar to those of said split end plate units and similarly clamped releasably to the shaft.

28. The wheel structure of claim 26, in which said other plate unit further comprises in addition to said one-piece plate part, at least two plates similar to those of said split end plate units and similarly clamped releasably to the shaft.

29. The wheel structure of claim 28, in which said end and other plate units are in substance the same, each including at least two releasably clamped plates and a substantially one-piece plate part in close axial adjacency to the clamped plate pair, the one-piece parts of the end plate units laterally outwardly limiting movement of said rods.

30. The wheel structure of claim 29, in which said one-piece plate parts and the plates of the pair are re- 9 leasably secured to and adjacent one another by means other than the releasable shaft clamping of said pair.

31. The wheel structure of claim 26, in which said one-piece plate part is provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.

32. The wheel structure of claim 29, in which said one-piece plate parts are provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.

33. The wheel structure of claim 30, in which said one-piece plate parts are provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.

34. The wheel structure of claim 23, in which the plates of the split end plate units and said other plate unit are substantially semi-circular, being provided at the respective diameters thereof with seats which partially encircle the shaft, and means to releasably clamp said plates to the shaft.

35. The wheel structure of claim 29, in which the plates of the split end plate units and said other plate unit are substantially semi-circular, being provided at the respective diameters thereof with axially enlarged bosses affording seats which partially encircle the shaft, and means at said bosses to releasably clamp said plates to the shaft.

36. A combined assembly of the wheel structure as defined in claim 23, with a circumferentially spaced array of said finishing units as mounted on said plates of said units, said finishing units each comprising a num- 10 her of like flexible sheets slitted uniformly along spaced longitudinal lines, and a clip mounting said sheets at ends thereof spaced from said lines in a unitary multiple sheet stack, the clip having a radially inner portion at which it is mounted to the wheel structure.

37. A combined assembly of the wheel structure as defined in claim 24 with a circumferentially spaced array of said finishing units as mounted on said plate rods of said units, said finishing units each comprising a number of like flexible sheets slitted uniformly along spaced longitudinal lines, and a clip mounting said sheets at ends thereof spaced from said lines in a unitary multiple sheet stack, the clip having a radially inner bight at which it is mounted to a rod of the wheel structure.

38. The assembly of claim 36, in which there are an axially aligned series of said finishing units in each of said circumferentially spaced arrays, being disposed axially between said end and other intermediate plate units of the wheel structure, and separated from one another by at least one of said other units.

39. The assembly of claim 37, in which there are an axially aligned series of said finishing units in each of said circumferentially spaced arrays, being disposed axially between said end and other intermediate plate units of the wheel structure, and separated from one another by at least one of said other units. 

1. A rotary wheel structure to mount radially outer finishing units, comprising a pair of axially spaced split end plate units each including at least two generally similar plates disposed in substantial radial register and having means to releasably clamp the same coaxially in a partially surrounding relation to a drive shaft, said plates as thus clamped each having means spaced radially outwardly of the axis of the shaft for mounting said finishing units in circumferentially spaced relation to one another about the shaft axis, and further comprising a pair of outermost end plate members located axially adjacent and outwardly of the respective split end plate units, said plate members each having a radius comparable to that of said split end plate units but lacks rod-receiving holes in a circumferential zone thereof radially coinciding with the zone of said plate units carrying said circumferentially spaced series of rod-receiving holes, thereby to axially confine rods slidably guided in said holes.
 2. The wheel structure of claim 1, in which said plates are generally semi-circular, each having a radially inner seat adjacent its diameter at which it is releasably clamped to the drive shaft, said mounting means comprising a plurality of elongated rods paralleliNg the shaft axis and received in a circumferentially spaced series of holes in said plates which surround the axis.
 3. A rotary wheel structure to mount radially outer finishing units, comprising a pair of axially spaced split end plate units each including at least two generally similar plates disposed in substantial radial register and having means to releasably clamp the same coaxially in a partially surrounding relation to a drive shaft, said plates as thus clamped each having means spaced radially outwardly of the axis of the shaft for pivotally mounting said finishing units in circumferentially spaced relation to one another about the shaft axis, and further comprising at least one other intermediate plate unit located axially between said split end plate units and including a plate part which also pivotally mounts said finishing units.
 4. A rotary wheel structure to mount radially outer finishing units, comprising a pair of axially spaced split end plate units each including at least two generally similar plates disposed in substantial radial register and having means to releasably clamp the same coaxially in a partially surrounding relation to a drive shaft, said plates as thus clamped each having means spaced radially outwardly of the axis of the shaft for pivotally mounting said finishing units in circumferentially spaced relation to one another about the shaft axis, said plates being generally semi-circular, each having a radially inner seat adjacent its diameter at which it is releasably clamped to the drive shaft, said pivotal mounting means comprising a plurality of elongated rods paralleling the shaft axis and received in a circumferentially spaced series of holes in said plates which surround the axis, and further comprising at least one other intermediate plate unit located axially between said split end plate units and including a plate part which also has holes to receive said elongated rods to pivotally mount said finishing units.
 5. The wheel structure of claim 3, in which said plate part of said other plate unit is one-piece in nature, including a radially extending flange portion also pivotally mounting the finishing units.
 6. The wheel structure of claim 4, in which said plate part of said other plate unit is one-piece in nature, including a radially extending flange portion also having a circumferential series of holes to receive said rods.
 7. The wheel structure of claim 5, in which said other plate unit further comprises in addition to said one-piece plate part, at least two plates similar to those of said split end plate units and similarly clamped releasably to the shaft.
 8. The wheel structure of claim 6, in which said other plate unit further comprises in addition to said one-piece plate part, at least two plates similar to those of said split end plate units and similarly clamped releasably to the shaft.
 9. The wheel structure of claim 8, in which said end and other plate units are in substance the same, each including at least two releasably clamped plates and a substantially one-piece plate part in close axial adjacency to the clamped plate pair, the one-piece parts of the end plate units laterally outwardly limiting movement of said rods.
 10. The wheel structure of claim 9, in which said one-piece plate parts and the plates of the pair are releasably secured to and adjacent one another by means other than the releasable shaft clamping of said pair.
 11. The wheel structure of claim 6, in which said one-piece plate part is provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.
 12. The wheel structure of claim 9, in which said one-piece plate parts are provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.
 13. The wheel structure of claim 10, in which said one-piece plate parts are provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.
 14. The wheel structure of claim 1, in which the plates of the split end plate units are substantially semicircUlar, being provided at the respective diameters thereof with seats which partially encircle the shaft, and means to releasably clamp said plates to the shaft.
 15. The wheel structure of claim 3, in which the plates of the split end plate units and said other plate unit are substantially semi-circular, being provided at the respective diameters thereof with seats which partially encircle the shaft, and means to releasably clamp said plates to the shaft.
 16. The wheel structure of claim 9, in which the plates of the split end plate units and said other plate unit are substantially semi-circular, being provided at the respective diameters thereof with axially enlarged bosses affording seats which partially encircle the shaft, and means at said bosses to releasably clamp said plates to the shaft.
 17. A combined assembly of the wheel structure as defined in claim 3 with a circumferentially spaced array of said finishing units as pivotally mounted on said plates of said units, said finishing units each comprising a number of like flexible sheets slitted uniformly along spaced longitudinal lines, and a clip mounting said sheets at ends thereof spaced from said lines in a unitary multiple sheet stack, the clip having a radially inner portion at which it is pivotally mounted to the wheel structure.
 18. A combined assembly of the wheel structure as defined in claim 4 with a circumferentially spaced array of said finishing units as pivotally mounted on said plate rods of said units, said finishing units each comprising a number of like flexible sheets slitted uniformly along spaced longitudinal lines, and a clip mounting said sheets at ends thereof spaced from said lines in a unitary multiple sheet stack, the clip having a radially inner bight at which it is pivotally mounted to a rod of the wheel structure.
 19. The assembly of claim 17, in which there are an axially aligned series of said finishing units in each of said circumferentially spaced arrays, being disposed axially between said end and other intermediate plate units of the wheel structure, and separated from one another by at least one of said other units.
 20. The assembly of claim 18, in which there are an axially aligned series of said finishing units in each of said circumferentially spaced arrays, being disposed axially between said end and other intermediate plate units of the wheel structure, and separated from one another by at least one of said other units.
 21. A rotary wheel structure to mount radially outer finishing units, comprising a pair of axially spaced split end plate units each including at least two generally similar plates disposed in substantial radial register and having means to releasably clamp the same coaxially in a partially surrounding relation to a drive shaft, said plates as thus clamped each having means spaced radially outwardly of the axis of the shaft for pivotally mounting said finishing units in circumferentially spaced relation to one another about the shaft axis, said plates being generally semi-circular, each having a radially inner seat adjacent its diameter at which it is releasably clamped to the drive shaft, said pivotal mounting means comprising a plurality of elongated rods paralleling the shaft axis and received in a circumferentially spaced series of holes in said plates which surround the axis, and further comprising a pair of outermost end plate members located axially adjacent and outwardly of the respective split end plate units, said plate members each having a radius comparable to that of said split end plate units but lacks rod-receiving holes in a circumferential zone thereof radially coinciding with the zone of said plate units carrying said circumferentially spaced series of rod-receiving holes, thereby to axially confine rods slidably guided in said holes.
 22. The assembly of claim 17, and further comprising a pair of outermost end plate members located axially adjacent and outwardly of the respective split end plate units, said plate mEmbers each having a radius comparable to that of said split end plate units but lacks rod-receiving holes in a circumferential zone thereof radially coinciding with the zone of said plate units carrying said circumferentially spaced series of rod-receiving holes, thereby to axially confine rods slidably guided in said holes.
 23. The wheel structure of claim 1, and further comprising at least one other intermediate plate unit located axially between said split end plate units and including a plate part which also mounts said finishing units.
 24. The wheel structure of claim 2, and further comprising at least one other intermediate plate unit located axially between said split end plate units and including a plate part which also has holes to receive said elongated rods to mount said finishing units.
 25. The wheel structure of claim 23, in which said plate part of said other plate unit is one-piece in nature, including a radially extending flange portion also mounting the finishing units.
 26. The wheel structure of claim 24, in which said plate part of said other plate unit is one-piece in nature, including a radially extending flange portion also having a circumferential series of holes to receive said rods.
 27. The wheel structure of claim 25, in which said other plate unit further comprises in addition to said one-piece plate part, at least two plates similar to those of said split end plate units and similarly clamped releasably to the shaft.
 28. The wheel structure of claim 26, in which said other plate unit further comprises in addition to said one-piece plate part, at least two plates similar to those of said split end plate units and similarly clamped releasably to the shaft.
 29. The wheel structure of claim 28, in which said end and other plate units are in substance the same, each including at least two releasably clamped plates and a substantially one-piece plate part in close axial adjacency to the clamped plate pair, the one-piece parts of the end plate units laterally outwardly limiting movement of said rods.
 30. The wheel structure of claim 29, in which said one-piece plate parts and the plates of the pair are releasably secured to and adjacent one another by means other than the releasable shaft clamping of said pair.
 31. The wheel structure of claim 26, in which said one-piece plate part is provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.
 32. The wheel structure of claim 29, in which said one-piece plate parts are provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.
 33. The wheel structure of claim 30, in which said one-piece plate parts are provided with independent means to releasably secure the same to the shaft.
 34. The wheel structure of claim 23, in which the plates of the split end plate units and said other plate unit are substantially semi-circular, being provided at the respective diameters thereof with seats which partially encircle the shaft, and means to releasably clamp said plates to the shaft.
 35. The wheel structure of claim 29, in which the plates of the split end plate units and said other plate unit are substantially semi-circular, being provided at the respective diameters thereof with axially enlarged bosses affording seats which partially encircle the shaft, and means at said bosses to releasably clamp said plates to the shaft.
 36. A combined assembly of the wheel structure as defined in claim 23, with a circumferentially spaced array of said finishing units as mounted on said plates of said units, said finishing units each comprising a number of like flexible sheets slitted uniformly along spaced longitudinal lines, and a clip mounting said sheets at ends thereof spaced from said lines in a unitary multiple sheet stack, the clip having a radially inner portion at which it is mounted to the wheel structure.
 37. A combined assembly of the wheel structure as defined in claim 24 with a circumferentially spaced array of said finishing units as mouNted on said plate rods of said units, said finishing units each comprising a number of like flexible sheets slitted uniformly along spaced longitudinal lines, and a clip mounting said sheets at ends thereof spaced from said lines in a unitary multiple sheet stack, the clip having a radially inner bight at which it is mounted to a rod of the wheel structure.
 38. The assembly of claim 36, in which there are an axially aligned series of said finishing units in each of said circumferentially spaced arrays, being disposed axially between said end and other intermediate plate units of the wheel structure, and separated from one another by at least one of said other units.
 39. The assembly of claim 37, in which there are an axially aligned series of said finishing units in each of said circumferentially spaced arrays, being disposed axially between said end and other intermediate plate units of the wheel structure, and separated from one another by at least one of said other units. 